


Fading to Black (and Bringing You Back)

by prototyping



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action, BroFic, Fight Scene, Friendship, Gen, General, Platonic Love, fandom needs more genfic, fight fic, genfic, kh3-based, such bros wow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 08:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3403106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prototyping/pseuds/prototyping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reunited but stranded in a hopeless battle, Ventus and Terra once again challenge impossible odds for their lives. Genfic, KH3-based.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fading to Black (and Bringing You Back)

**Author's Note:**

> I rarely write in the present tense and I never write in first-person, so somehow logic dictated that I write this in both present tense _and_ first-person. Y e a h. Apologies if that's not your preferred narrative style, but I think this turned out to be good practice, at least! So I'm especially open to any feedback in that regard. 8]

Waking up in the morning's a pretty simple thing. Most people probably take it for granted. I know I used to.

I've never been a morning person. Aqua could tell you -- I think we've both lost count of how many times she's had to come wake me up in the afternoon. But these days, I'm different. Even if I've only had a few hours of rest, I usually get up right around dawn. I'm not even tired. It's weird, but not bad, I guess.

On the other hand... actually falling asleep in the first place is pretty hard. I know what sleepless nights are like, but this happens a lot -- every night, actually. No matter how tired I am or how long I lay there and stare at the ceiling, it's like sleep avoids me.

Or I guess... _I'm_ avoiding _it_.

I don't think anyone's noticed, not even Aqua. That's the point, though. It's not a big deal, so I don't want them to worry, but... I can't help being a little afraid. That when I go to sleep, I might not wake up when I'm supposed to. I might lose another twelve years, or more.

It's dumb, I know. Things like that don't just happen. And I've got plenty of friends now who all have my back, so there's no way it would happen again.

It's just...

...I don't know. I've had a lot of long nights since they found me; those are some of the things I think about.

That's pretty awful of me, huh? I should be worried about more important things, not oversleeping.

Still... I never really noticed how amazing the morning sky looks. Especially after a rainstorm.

I guess that's one good thing in all of this.

* * *

I wake up pretty fast this time, almost too fast: my body's stiff, my head hurts, and everything comes rushing back at me so quickly that I start to get dizzy before I even sit up. When I open my eyes, it's dark -- it's a murky kind of gloom, like a cave. I can hear water splashing nearby, but it's a soft, steady sound.

I realize that I'm moving. Or... something else is, because I'm actually still lying here, but those stone walls are definitely passing by. I stay where I am, confused and trying to work through my memories. I know where I was last -- there was the fight, and then...

"Where..." It feels like a punch to my temple when I lift my head. Stars flash across my eyes, but I can still make out that I'm on someone's back. I'm still in my armor, minus my helm, but I'm being carried.

I suddenly feel sick, so I close my eyes again and breathe slowly. "Where... am I?" I finish after a moment. My words are a sore whisper that even I can barely hear.

"Beneath the city. In the old aqueducts," answers a calm voice. It sounds familiar, but the pounding in my head's so loud now that I can't say for sure. It hurts to try and think about it too hard, so I don't just yet.

"The fight..." My croaking hardly sounds like me. "I was..." _Hurt. Bad..._

_Vanitas was... But how... And that man in the black coat, with the scar... It looked a lot like..._

_And Aqua--_

I tense up again, which sends fresh pain through some of my cuts and bruises -- there are more than I remember -- and I cringe. "Ah! Aqua -- where is she--"

"She's all right. Probably worried about you, though."

I relax at that. I can't help but believe this guy. "Oh, good..." The static noise in my mind is pretty clear now, so talking doesn't sound or feel as awkward as before. "So -- you helped me out, right?" He doesn't answer, but I smile anyway and lift my head again. "Thanks. I owe you."

Those footsteps in the water slow down and stop. My eyes have adjusted, too, so now I'm starting to get a picture of who I'm looking at. Broad shoulders, dark hair...

"No..." That voice, that familiar voice, sounds sad now. "You really don't, Ven."

It... can't be...

It might be because he used my name -- or maybe that's just when his voice clicks with me, I can't say for sure. Either way, I feel my heart skip enough beats to hurt. I think my jaw even drops, but no words come out because it's like I suddenly can't remember how to talk. My throat's tight, too.

It feels like my head's reeling again, but I still notice something up ahead, further along the tunnel. Movement... Shadows? Or--

"Down here, too?" He's also noticed. A flash suddenly lights up the tunnel, but the glow is familiar, warm, not at all blinding even though my eyes are used to the dark now.

I know that light.

When it fades, he's gripping a Keyblade in one hand, held up and at the ready between himself and the new threat: a group of Heartless, shuffling through the water towards us.

I already figured it out a few seconds ago, but the shock, I guess, still hits me pretty hard, because my headache doubles again until I'm dizzy and my vision tilts. I know that Keyblade.

Earthshaker.

Terra's.

"Sit tight. I'll handle this."

The words take a few seconds to make sense, but it's enough to snap me out of my daze. I push against his back to try and shake off his grip and climb down. "No way! I'll help!" Like I'm really going to sit back and just--!

_"No."_ He doesn't yell, but it's still stern, and out of habit, maybe, I stop to listen -- but that must be what he was counting on, because all of a sudden I feel heavy, way too heavy to move, and my head drops back down onto his shoulder even as I try to fight it. My arms fall limp, too, and soon I'm just dead weight. "Sorry, Ven," the voice says, distant and warped by the Sleep spell. "Just a little longer."

_No, don't -- I can fight! Don't do this alone!_

I grit my teeth, but the words don't come. Trying to fight it at this range is hopeless; I'm already groggy and my muscles just won't move no matter how hard I try. My vision flickers like a candle about to go out, my thoughts scatter until I can't hold onto them anymore, and the last thing I hear is the sound of water sloshing more loudly, almost violently.

I can't think straight, and now it's a fight just to try and remember where I am and what's happening. Something bad... someone in danger? Why can't I move? Why aren't I fighting?

I don't manage it, but as all those questions fade into nothing, there's only one clear picture in my head in the last moment. I hear my voice, quiet and strained and nearly lost under the other noise, but I don't remember trying to talk.

Is it me? I don't know anymore.

But right before I pass out, I can make out what it says.

"T... Terr...a..."

* * *

I wake up with a small jump. Even through my gloves, I instantly recognize the warmth of my Keyblade in my fingers. Did I summon it? I can't remember doing it.

My eyes open to darkness again, but it's not as deep as before: dim electric bulbs run along the opposite wall, close enough that there are only a couple feet of darker shadows between their circles of light. The water runs a little faster here, but I'm sitting along the walkway where it's dry, my back against the wall.

"Easy there. We're safe for now."

There's no mistaking the voice this time, or the face of the one who kneels beside me. He sounds and looks a little older, his clothes are different, but...

...it's Terra.

_It's Terra._

I know I've been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever, but... now that it's here, it almost feels unreal. I'm afraid I might wake up again, that it's just another dream, but some of my injuries still hurt enough to let me know that's not the case. So... he's really here.

He's come back.

"Terra..." My grin feels awkward, or maybe that's just because my lips are shaking. The corners of my eyes sting and my throat's almost too thick to speak, but I manage. _"Terra!"_

He smiles back at me and it's just like I remember it, the same as it's always been. It's the same smile that encouraged me during training, that answered all my questions, that greeted me every morning for years... It's the same smile -- the last smile -- that he gave me the last time I saw him, when he promised that everything would be okay. When he promised to protect me, no matter what.

For a second, it's like everything _is_ okay again, like it should be. We're together again, we're _okay_ , and it's such an old feeling that I think I might have forgotten what it's like not to worry about someone.

Terra's okay. Just like Aqua. The three of us are still scattered, but we're all right. I always knew we'd be together again, even if it took a while, but now that Terra's here, with me, and safe... it just feels like that dream is finally within reach again.

"Whew, so you can talk." Terra ruffles my hair like he used to, as if nothing's changed since then. "Glad to see you're all right."

I laugh and put up no resistance. "Me, too! But I knew you'd be fine!" Dismissing my Keyblade in another flash of light, I look up at him more seriously. "But what happened, Terra? How'd you get here? And... why'd you leave us?" Aqua told me that he had been at the castle. He came along with her and Sora to wake me up, but then he disappeared right after that. I still can't remember much of it, and I definitely don't recall seeing Terra there.

For a minute, he doesn't answer. His hand falls away and his smile fades, and I recognize that distracted look of his. "...Sorry, Ven... but I'll wait until we find Aqua. I'd rather explain it to you together."

I might have argued against that once, but now I just nod, knowing better. I trust Terra, and he must have his reasons -- even if he did leave without saying anything to me first. He's still looking too serious, though, so I smile again. "Yeah,no problem. We've got a lot to tell you, too, so--" I start to lean up, but then cringe as pain spreads through my side again. Actually, now that the surprise of seeing Terra is wearing off, I realize I'm probably in worse shape than I thought.

"Take it easy," he warns. "Looks like you took some bad hits back there."

"I'm -- fine," I manage stubbornly, trying to keep my breaths short and quiet. "I gave worse than I took."

"I'm sure you did." He smiles again, briefly. "I already cast Curaga a few times, but some of those must be too bad for magic alone. We should check you out before moving any further."

"But--"

"No buts. Can you get your armor off?"

Some things never change, after all.

I tell him that I can, but I need almost half a minute to gather the energy for it. It takes effort to magic it away, just like it takes effort to summon it, but it beats taking it apart by hand, piece by piece. I tried it once and I haven't done it since. It's a pretty big pain.

It still takes a lot out of me, so I relax and let Terra look me over after that. My side's pretty bad, a long and deep slash wrapping around from my hip to my back, but he tells me it's mostly closed; the rest are smaller cuts and some pretty sore bruises, but even those are nearly gone thanks to the healing spells. My knee's still messed up and swollen enough to prove it, and just touching it takes my breath away. They'll all heal with time, though. My clothes have the worst of it, as stained as they are with blood. My armor was in bad shape, but it'll be fine the next time I use it, anyway.

As Terra casts another Curaga, this time concentrating it on the wound in my side -- I didn't even know you could do that -- the frown he's been wearing for the last couple minutes deepens. "Who did this to you?"

I stare at him, hesitating. He doesn't look or sound mad, but I can tell he's tense, like he's hiding something. "Uh..." I don't want to lie to him, but I don't want him to worry, either. I shrug with my good shoulder. "You know... a lot of Heartless. Other people--"

"Ven." He still doesn't sound angry, but it's stern enough that I wince, anyway.

"I..." It's no use trying to get around it, I know, not when he gets like this. I give in. "...I fought Vanitas again," I admit quietly. I'm a little ashamed, to be honest. I thought I'd come a long way in getting stronger, but he beat me so fast -- so badly -- that now I'm not so sure. Then again... "He was different from before, though," I add, also frowning. "It's... hard to explain, but even though he fought the same way, he... _felt_ different."

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I can sense that sort of thing because we're... because we _were_ the same, once. Maybe it doesn't even matter. But I'm sure I didn't imagine it. It was almost like... the darkness in him was deeper. I could feel it when we fought in the Graveyard years ago, but this time it was worse. I don't just feel it when he's around now -- I smell and taste it, too, and it's awful.

I don't tell Terra any of that. He already looks unhappy, but he doesn't say anything about it. I let him cast in silence, just glad for his presence. I'm exhausted and hurt and I still have a ton of questions, but just having him here helps me forget all of that for a minute.

Just for a minute.

"Terra, I..." I drop my head slightly, along with my gaze. "I'm sorry... about before." In the corner of my eye I see him look at me. "Back in the Graveyard. I couldn't... I wasn't able t--"

"Don't, Ven." Terra says it gently. I recognize the tone as the one he used with me when I was younger, back when we still trained with toy swords. He had to correct me a lot -- they both did -- but he was always cool about it. It's a firm but patient voice that he uses, a lot like the Master's. "All that matters is that you two made it out safe." He smiles, but still looks sad. "But," he says quietly, "I left you and Aqua to fend for yourselves. For that... no, for a lot of things, I should be the one apologizing. So... I'm sorry, too."

Watching his face, I suddenly realize what's off about it. Unlike me and Aqua, he actually looks like he's aged some over the years, and that tired look in his eyes and the lines on the corners of his mouth are new. More than that, I don't think they look like something that just comes with age.

I still regret all the time I missed while sleeping. The fact that I was so useless bugs me -- but compared to Aqua, and now probably Terra, I realize how lucky I was. I had Sora, I was safe... but my best friends were alone, and they must have always been fighting. Every day, and for so long.

I try to think of something that would be appropriate, but hair ruffling and headlocks don't exactly go both ways between us. Instead, I smile, and I have the feeling it looks as heavy as Terra's did. Even so, I keep my voice light. "Don't worry about it -- we'll call it even, okay?"

Terra blinks at that, but then his smile slowly returns, more like the one I'm used to, and he laughs softly. "Yeah. Okay, Ven."

I take the hand he offers and he pulls me to my feet -- or foot, since I still have to keep my weight off my injured leg. "Still bad, huh?" he asks with a frown. As much as I want to play it off, I know I can't.

"It's... better. I can move," I add quickly, doing my best not to cringe as I test it again. "I just... won't be very fast."

Terra's eyebrow rises. "That's not saying much." He turns around and crouches, jerking his head in indication. "Come on. I'd like to get out of here sometime this week, you know?"

I can't help grinning at the glimpse of Terra's old self, jab though that comment was, and I climb onto his back again without complaint. Once certain that my leg's as comfortable as it can get, Terra sets off down the walkway at an easy pace.

Now seems like a good chance to talk, but most of what I want to ask probably has to wait until we find Aqua. I'm quiet as I think about what to say, but Terra quickly breaks the silence. "So, you met Sora."

"Yeah. A, um... long time ago, actually. He and Aqua found you, didn't they?"

"Right. Since then... you could say I've been keeping an eye on what you've all been doing."

"Not much," I admit glumly. I always make sure to stay optimistic around the others, but with Terra, I decide to be more honest. "I know Mickey and Riku went looking for you, actually, but that was a while ago. It's been a lot of fighting for the rest of us."

"...His Majesty and Riku are fine," Terra says after a short pause. The walkway ends here, so he has to resort to walking in the shin-deep water. "They were when I left them, at least."

"Ah? You saw them?"

He nods. "That's part of the long story, but... trust me, they were doing all right. Even if it's just the two of them, I wouldn't underestimate them." I can't see his face from here, but I'd swear there's something like... pride, maybe, in the way he says that, or at least a smile.

Either way, I sigh in relief. "That's great to hear. We were getting worri--" Terra's sudden halt cuts me off. He quickly looks left, right, at the same time that I also sense something. The hair on the back of my neck stands up as I recognize it a second later.

The shadows materialize in eerie synchronization, sliding silently up out of the water -- four, seven, a dozen pairs of yellow eyes and counting, all locked onto us.

Terra curses under his breath as he turns in place, trying to keep all the Heartless within his line of sight, but it's useless. They're on all sides.

"Terra--" I don't know if it makes a difference, but I keep my voice low. "Put me down, I can fight--"

"Quiet, Ven."

"But--"

"I'm going to run," he hisses over his shoulder, eyes still locked on the ring of enemies. "Think you can cast in the meantime?"

For a second I stare at him. Then I slowly grin. _It's been forever since we worked together, huh?_ I want to say, but there's no time for it. Instead, I hold my right hand out to the side in as subtle a motion as I can manage. "Yeah. Let's go."

There's a pause that feels like forever, although it's only a few seconds. I can hear the Heartless shifting, the distant groan of water below us, Terra's low and steady breathing; he's so still that it's reassuring somehow, and it calms my nerves a little more.

We'll be okay.

"Now!"

We both summon our weapons as Terra takes off at a run, so I can't tell if it's his movement or the Keyblades that finally set off the Heartless. They react in a frenzy and surge forward, the already tight circle closing, but I'm ready for them: a blast of Firaga knocks aside those in our path and a second later Terra vaults over the rest, fast enough that I sling my free arm around his chest to keep from falling. He tolds tight, though, and we're soon bolting down the next tunnel.

I already know what I'll see, but I glance back anyway: only yards behind us, the Heartless pour through the hall like a dark wave as they scramble eagerly over each other. I'm used to them by now, but the sight of countless yellow eyes, all jumbled in a shadowy, shapeless mass, still makes my blood feel a little lukewarm.

Terra's in good shape like always, at least. Even with me as luggage, he still manages to lengthen our lead some, and takes corners sharp enough to make our pursuers falter and stumble. He either knows where he's going or has some luck on his side, because soon the water gives way to cement, the ground becomes an incline, and we're going higher, towards the surface.

As he aims for another turn, a flicker of shadow up ahead makes him skid to a stop. More Heartless leap up out of the ground, but Terra's already switched directions and headed through another doorway; I lob a few chunks of ice at the new group to slow them down.

We emerge into an actual room this time -- some kind of maintenance facility, maybe, because machines line the walls and stick up between metal walkways, some of which wind and stretch all the way to the other side. There's only darkness down below, but I can hear water rushing. A lot of it.

Terra doesn't slow down even as he cranes his neck to take in the massive space. Behind us, the horde tries to pile onto the thin walkway all at once, only for several of them to go over the railing. A few distant splashes confirm what's below. As I'm turning back around to look ahead again, something suddenly slams into us from above.

We both go sprawling. I manage to keep ahold of my Keyblade, but Terra and I are knocked out of each other's grips. I cry out as I roll over hard metal, each bump sending a searing, stabbing pain through my knee, and it takes me a second to notice that I've stopped moving.

"Ven!"

My vision's a murky red for some reason. I stare, confused, as it clears and I see nothing... No, not nothing, I'm looking down -- down at the surging waters far below. I've stopped at the very edge of the walkway, luckily before I rolled off. That's enough for me to overcome my pain and I twist in place, onto my back, but then I see why Terra sounded so worried.

The Heartless standing over me is enormous. It's similar to a Neo Shadow, but larger, sharper around the edges, taller than most of the Unversed I've faced. Its long, awkwardly jointed arms hang as low as the ground -- or they would, if it wasn't reaching for me.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear Terra yell -- no words, just an angry, desperate sound -- but I'm glad to say it takes more than a busted leg to really mess up my reflexes. I shift my grip, bring my Keyblade around, and cut across the Heartless' outstretched palms, all in less than a second. Several of its crooked claws end up as stumps, but it's silent as it takes half a step back and stares at its injured hands, almost looking confused. I bring my good leg up and kick hard at its ankle, the thinnest part of its long limb, and cast Fire at nearly point blank for good measure.

The Heartless steps back again, its dark body smoking, and I finally catch a glimpse of Terra: the lesser Heartless have caught up to him, and he's a blur of strength and motion as he continues to fight off every one that leaps at him. I reach up and clutch the railing over my head, grunting as I pull myself up, and return my attention to the enemy in front of me.

It crosses my mind to open the Lanes, which would make for a good, speedy exit, but I quickly decide against it. We discovered a while back that Xehanort has been watching the pathways, so using them means risking a run-in with one of his incarnations. There's no telling if Terra and I are among the seven he wants alive, so facing him as we are now could be a huge mistake. Not to mention I don't have the strength to summon my armor anytime soon, and even making it safely to another world could mean letting these Heartless loose there instead.

That's probably why Terra hasn't already suggested the Lanes by now. Instead, I face the large Heartless head-on as it recovers and go through my options as fast as I can manage to think.

I don't have much magic left in me; those last few spells were already pushing it, and trying anything more could be dangerous -- but no more dangerous than standing here and doing nothing, I reason, although I'd like to avoid any suicidal moves if possible. At least until I know for sure that Terra will be safe.

Moving at all isn't much of an option, either. The most I can really do is limp along using the rail for support, and the Heartless is already closing the distance between us too quickly. I grip my hilt tighter. I'll just have to hold my ground and hope my Keyblade's enough.

I find out pretty fast that it isn't. I'm knocked off my feet by a sweeping blow, further down the walkway and farther away from Terra. I take a chance and force out another Cure, hoping to dull even a little of the pain in my knee, but I don't notice a difference. Panting, I try again to stand, but the Heartless has caught up to me in an instant. As large as it is and as slow as its movements were before, its burst of speed catches me off guard and I don't stand a chance of dodging. It headbutts me hard in the chest, driving the breath out of my lungs and knocking me flat on my back.

Worse, when my knuckles strike the floor I feel my Keyblade bounce from my stunned fingers. It clatters out of reach, leaving me lying alone under the Heartless as it bears down on me--

\--and then disappears in a burst of shadowy smoke. I start in surprise as Terra appears over me instead, his Keyblade held two-handed. He has some thin, bloody scratches on his face, but otherwise seems no worse for the wear. Without even recovering from his last attack, he whirls in place and smashes another leaping Heartless clean out of the air.

I sit up only for my heart to sink at what I see: the smaller wave of Heartless has mostly drawn back, but only to make room for the half a dozen larger Heartless -- the same as the one that attacked me -- that surge swiftly down the walkway for us. Out of simple instinct, I glance over my shoulder.

"Ah! Terra -- behind us!"

He chances a glimpse and his expression darkens. Six of those big ones in front of us, two more behind -- all while I'm still dead weight.

That won't stop me. Whatever it takes, even if I can't do much, I'm not letting Terra fight alone this time.

My every movement dogged by pain and stiffness, I drag myself towards my Keyblade. I can be a distraction, if nothing else. Right as I reach for the hilt, however, Terra suddenly stoops and beats me to it. He actually takes up my Keyblade -- and when I hold out my hand to take it, he ignores me.

"Don't use any more magic, Ven," he says quietly, firmly. He glances quickly between the advancing lines of Heartless. "No matter what happens."

Gritting my teeth, I push myself up onto my good knee and stare at him. Earthshaker hangs by his right side, my Wayward Wind on his left. It's a strange sight and an even stranger feeling. Then I realize: no one else has ever touched my Keyblade before. It's not a big deal or anything, but even as awful as I feel right now, the sensation hits me as extremely unfamiliar. It's a part of me, after all, and anyone would notice another's hand on their heart.

But Terra -- what is he...?

I start to object, but then the Heartless dash forward and in a flicker of motion Terra reacts: staying close to me, he spins in place and slams both Keyblades into opposite Heartless, hard enough to topple them both. One flips over the railing and disappears, lost to the raging rapids below, but the other is only momentarily disoriented. The other six haven't stopped moving, though, and Terra hits another, another, wielding both Keyblades with strength and speed and precision.

At first it looks like he's going to pull it off just fine by himself -- but then he's forced back a step, two steps, and we're soon cornered at the edge of the walkway. Five of the large Heartless are still alive, and they've started coordinating their attacks better; Terra's bleeding from a few more shallow scratches on his arms and sides, but he refuses to let them have any more ground. He refuses to let them get to me.

But he's wearing down, enough for me to see his movements slowing. It's only a matter of time -- seconds -- before one of the Heartless finds an opening, and Terra's knocked backwards and into me. I've managed to stand, at least, so I try to catch him, but his weight still knocks the air out of me as I'm slammed up against the rail at my back. Over his shoulder, I see the Heartless make an eager leap for both of us--

\--and my last thoughts are regret, apology, shock and anger at the unfairness of it all because I just got him back and it's all over and this is the worst way for it to happen--

\--and then darkness. It covers my eyes, chills my skin, turns my stomach. For a second I'm sure that I've died.

Except... I still hurt. My wounds still pulse and ache -- I still hear the water below us, still feel Terra's warmth. If I'm dead, then why am I still here? Why has nothing changed?

I open my eyes to a dark haze. I still feel nauseous, and not just from pain and blood loss. This is darkness, and it's close -- and it's strong. As strong as Vanitas', maybe stronger. For a moment more I'm still confused, but then I feel Terra shift and push off of me, and that's when things come into focus.

We're both alive. We're still on the walkway, still besieged by Heartless, but the hungry swipes that they made for us with their claws have been blocked, held at bay by my and Terra's Keyblades forming a defensive X. Terra's arms are trembling under the strain, but they're holding. And then I realize why.

The darkness clouding my eyes and making my blood run cold -- it's coming from him. Literally, like smoke seeping from his body.

I feel my heart sink into my stomach.

With an angry roar, Terra breaks the stalemate -- the Heartless are shoved backwards, and a savage slash with both blades sends two of their heads rolling. He was fast before, but I can barely follow him now. If it weren't for my training, I probably couldn't.

He tears down the other large Heartless in seconds. No magic, just brute force and unnatural speed. The corpses haven't even disappeared yet when he rounds on the rest of the Heartless, panting and shaking -- with power or anger or exhaustion, I can't tell -- and the first ones leap forward to die just as quickly.

I stare at his back, at the wisps of darkness twisting and writhing around him, spurning him onward. I notice that I'm also shaking slightly, but I know why.

I'm scared.

Not _of_ Terra -- I'm scared _for_ Terra. Much more scared than I was of the Heartless moments ago, or of dying. This is something else entirely, something I can't just fight off.

Or can I?

Looking past him at the Heartless, I gauge the odds. In the short run of things, it might be smarter to let him go at them; with that kind of power behind him, he would make short work of the rest, no doubt about it.

But at what cost?

_No,_ I decide immediately. I wasn't willing to let him fight alone before because I was afraid of losing him. Now is no different.

"Stop!" My voice sounds small and weak and strained. I limp forward, using the pain it shoots through me to fuel both my determination and volume. "Terra!"

Either he can't hear me or he's ignoring me. I press on, my bad leg throbbing badly enough to bring tears to my eyes. I keep them fixed on Terra nonetheless, afraid I might pass out if I lose sight of my drive. "Terra, _stop!"_

I reach him right as there's a break in the wave of rushing enemies, and none too soon. Pushed to its limit, my leg gives out and I stumble into Terra, scrabbling at the back of his shirt for a hold to keep myself upright. My muscles feel like they're ripping apart in layers, my body aches all over from its wounds, but I keep leaning, keep reaching, and I don't stop until my fingers finally brush the back of his hand and I've clamped down, reinforcing his grip on his Keyblade. I focus with everything I've got -- I focus it on Terra, willing all the power I have left to go to him, wishing every bit of light inside me to counteract his anger and calm that rising storm.

"That's enough," I say softly, and it's in pain as much as it is an effort to plead with his good sense. Despite how uneasy his darkness makes me, I drop my forehead against the middle of his back and let him have my weight. "Please don't..."

He hears me. More than that, he listens. I sense his aura retreating slightly, and as I lift my head to watch, the darkness around him shrinks back and fades, like ripples in reverse. It makes me smile, and that's the last thing I manage; my energy utterly spent, my fingers lose their grip and I tilt sideways. The ground comes rushing up at me.

Before I can meet it, an arm catches me around my middle. Even with both Keyblades in hand, Terra manages to pull me securely against his side -- but the endless number of Heartless has increased again, and he's exhausted on top of having to carry me now.

For an instant things look impossibly bad, and I'm not quite conscious enough to help think of something. Fortunately, I don't have to. Terra swiftly leaps backwards to put some space between us and the Heartless, spins Earthshaker around so that the blade points down, and then stabs it into the floor hard enough that even I feel the jarring in my bones. For a second nothing happens and the Heartless resume their flood across the walkway -- but then the room suddenly lurches. No, the room is stable, I realize: from the tip of Terra's Keyblade, glowing cracks have splintered along the floor. They're growing in number and size as they fan out to the edges of the walkway, which has started to tremble and sway. I figure out his intention right as the bridge snaps in half.

Steel groans and shrieks as the opposite side drops instantly, weighed down by the Heartless mass. Most of them tumble over each other and down into the water, although those closer to the top are spared. Even so, the gap between them and us is too big to cross. We're safe.

...More or less. Our half of the walkway shudders, clicks, and picks up speed in its descent. Terra's Keyblade vanishes as he turns and takes off at a run, but he only takes a couple steps before the floor tilts sharply under his feet. He stumbles, slips, fights for his balance -- and then dives forward, crashing both of us against the floor as the walkway drops further. His free hand catches hold of the railing, and in seconds that's all that's keeping us from joining the Heartless below.

"Ven--" He sounds so tired, but his grips on both me and the rail stay firm. "I need you -- to hang on -- I need both hands for this--"

"Got it," I assure him, although I sound so exhausted myself that it might not be very convincing. There's no way I can climb around onto his back again, so I just loop my arms around his waist and hang tight, trying to stay out of the way as much as I can. I dismiss my Keyblade while I'm at it, freeing up his other hand.

I'm not sure how long it takes. Less than a minute, although it probably seems longer to Terra, climbing up the rail like a ladder bit by bit, supporting us both. When we reach the top, he drags us up over the ledge and collapses against the floor, panting hard. I let go and roll off of him.

We lie there for a few minutes, silent and catching our breaths and, in my case, really hoping that no Heartless show up on this side. I turn my head and look down the hallway, which goes for a while. It's a lot larger than the previous ones.

My throat hurts, but I speak up with a weak smile, anyway. "Hey... I think we should just... take your glider the rest of the way." I look the other way at Terra. "Don't you think?" I didn't mean for it to be funny, but he breaks into a smile -- which for some reason makes me laugh, maybe a little deliriously. Terra starts up, too, and soon we're both laughing, hard. Even though it makes me hurt all over, I can't stop, but even that's kind of funny.

When we finally calm down and fall silent again, we have to take another couple minutes just to recover from that. Then, groaning, Terra pushes himself up into a sitting position. "Yeah," he agrees. "Let's do that." He doesn't stand, though, or even look at me. I watch him curiously, waiting. "...Thanks, Ven," he says at length, solemnly. "For before. You reached out to me."

I hesitate. The memory of that darkness -- his darkness -- worries me. I wonder, should I even be surprised? After everything that happened, did I really think he would just show up again like the old Terra, with his past behind him and no problems to speak of? Looking back, I'm sure I did. Maybe I just have a lot of faith in him, but it was pretty naive of me all the same.

Still, it doesn't change anything between us. And I know Aqua will feel the same way.

So I give Terra a tired smile, just like old times. "Of course I did. You're my friend."

He looks at me, surprised, but my smile doesn't budge. Slowly, he returns it, but it's an expression he used to wear in the distant past -- the patient smile he used when dealing with a kid who tried to be more grown-up than he really was. "Yeah. You're right."


End file.
